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Wanna piss off citizens of the planet that have internet access and you just so happen to be one of the largest corporations in recorded history? Enter Google’s move to revamp the comments section of their most profitable and popular online properties, YouTube!

Yes, the comments section of any video on YouTube is a virtual cesspool of pimple squeezin’ pre-teens with mom’s iPad to adoring adults of any attractive object of lust that is on display, we all could argue that something needed to be done. And… here comes Google with their infinite wisdom of what their user base wants and needs from using their product.

So what’s the big deal you ask? You’re now forced to utilize their aging and grossly mishandled attempt at social media, Google Plus, in order to post comments. As a content producer for YouTube, I shoulda saw this coming since they “forced” me to getting a G+ page specifically for my channel a few months ago. No one has to sign up for either service truthfully just to view anything, however how can you be the infamous troll that you aspire to be if you’re forced to give up more information about yourself in order to continue your online video comment graffiti career?

Let’s be real; trolls and just plain idiots online will never go away, even if they’re forced to sign in with their personal mobile phone numbers for backlash, but Google just made feedback on content even harder to achieve. View counts may arise with this since it’ll more visible to more people, however viewer interaction, such as likes and comments, will decline (at least at first) because of the added hassle. I get that they were trying to address a very old issue with the garbage that’s been spewed there, but this hurt more than it will help.

So great work, Google, in bastardizing your number one money maker and alienating likely 4/5 of your users thus making it harder for us content producers to seek back critical information that guides us to continue uploading. May you get a splash of water up your ass every time you take a dump in your golden toilet.

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I rarely get excited over much of anything (unless it’s a new tech gadget), however most of you know that I’ve had a channel on YouTube where I’ve uploaded videos about video games I’ve played. Seems silly in retrospect, however gaming videos on YouTube have a huge audience which in my opinion didn’t start to gain traction until 2011. I however started uploading silly iPhone clips of Red Dead Redemption in 2010, then quickly realized that shaky camera phone video wasn’t going to cut it. I also had a passion to learn filmmaking and this was a way to capture game footage to edit it, and present it in consumption form to the masses to be shared for all on YouTube. There, that’s the basis on why I started a YouTube channel to begin with.

I quietly amassed subscribers and notoriety, attempting to be different from the masses already on YouTube or the newcomers that created a few videos and constantly begged for your subscription. I however felt that if you concentrated on the content itself, the viewing public would decide if you were worthy of giving you their subscription, comment, like, favorite, etc. In my video below, I quickly review that I never entered YouTube with the mindset of gaining quick subscribers in order to become an online celebrity. YouTube is already full of people trying to do just that. Every video is a project to me, with a cast, script, story line, and more that is necessary in visual entertainment. How did I do? Well, over 1,000 have subscribed to my channel that has had half a million views since I started making videos in 2010. It’s been an experiment that’s been years in the making, however I’ve always done it to push myself with my new found skill set, one video at a time.

In addition to the subscriber milestone, I’ve also accepted an invitation to partner with Machinima. Let’s be honest, anyone that produces videos wishes to be compensated for their time, however I have no illusions of mansions, lingerie models, and exotic cars. A partnership with Machinima opens the door to expose my channel to an even broader audience, earn new subscribers, and gain a little income from the efforts. In order to really make money with this, one must consistently produce plenty of content and each must have literally tens of thousands of views at the least. I’m not looking to get rich quick, however new equipment and software are always nice. Still, a thousands subscribers isn’t a lot by many standards, but it’s amazing to me that over a thousand have given me the opportunity to earn their subscription, and I hope to earn even more.

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Now that the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3 as it’s commonly referred to is over, we’ve had the opportunity to be pitched since 2006 by both Microsoft and Sony for their new respective hardware. I’m fairly certain that there is at least one video game console in each of the homes of those that are reading this. Being that PCs update their hardware every few months, this piece of news after 7 years of current generation consoles was long overdue.

I’m not going to bother with the adolescent war of “console vs. PC” that is never ending (and quite frankly moronic), but rather what came out of this year’s E3 regarding the console-on-console equivalent of little children on a road trip and having to endure “he’s touching me!” remarks constantly.

In the event you didn’t know, I currently game on the PlayStation 3 console. Consoles period are in my opinion better suited for games when you want to play them, require less maintenance, are reasonably portable, and simply require a TV or monitor to setup and start playing. Since game publishers want to penetrate as many markets as they can to sell their products, most games are available on every gaming platform imaginable. Sure, exclusives to each platform exist, so it really comes down to preference. I personally care less if you play on one platform than another, however the internet at large (mostly comprised of acne littered 13 year-old boys) will quickly pick up an e-pitchfork and wage battle against your choice and/or defend theirs. In the end, developers laugh all the way to bank during the incessant flame war.

So it may appear that Sony has won the the console war at this year’s E3 with their PS4 being $100 less, no used game restrictions, and not requiring a daily internet authentication. Truthfully, they’re both equal counterparts in my eyes, if it weren’t for the whole Microsoft Corporation supporting the NSA and potentially violating your privacy with a video and audio monitoring device that must remain connected to the console, commonly known as Kinect. Ya, the PS4 has something similar, but why people even want a motion device to play games is beyond me however at least with Sony it is optional, not required. Digital Rights Management, or DRM, also has Microsoft’s support likely because they’re a major software publisher in the computer world as well as the gaming world, so they technically they can’t blur that line being that they are involved heavily in both industries. As for used games, I don’t purchase used games so that part doesn’t affect me. Sony did have one bullet point however that they can no longer wave around and that was required additional purchase of Xbox Live vs. (free) PSN to play multiplayer games. Now, PS4 players will need to become PS+ members (at $50 USD/year) in order to play most of your favorite games online with your friends. C’mon, we all saw this one coming.

I’ve owned every Sony game console and will continue to do so because of convenience sake. I may look into a gaming laptop, however that won’t be anytime soon. Until then, whether you’re a hardcore iPod touch gamer, or a grand wizard at the game of Juno, pick your poison and just play. Pre-order your PlayStation 4 or Xbox One with Amazon and join the next generation of games. Mountain Dew and Cheetos dusted controllers not included.

Hollywood heavyweights Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are predicting that the movie industry as we (sorta) know it today is dying. If you look around, there’s truth to what they’re forecasting.

You don’t need to be an economics analyst to understand that movie theaters rely on Hollywood to pump out over hyped films in order to rent you a seat for a few hours and sell you some grossly overpriced sugar water. What’s happened since the American economy tumbled some years ago is that many people still need to be entertained, however we’re guarding our money more and things like going to a movie become a luxury.

Internet services like Netflix, Hulu, and even YouTube are rapidly growing which happen to be lower cost alternatives to cable and satellite television. This year’s E3 expo revealed the Xbox One touted to be a “next generation” entertainment hub for your living room or bedroom, but Microsoft banked on current trends and market clearly failing to understand that many people are ditching ever climbing cable and satellite bills in favor for much lower cost alternatives, much like we’re currently ditching our home telephone service for mobile phones now. That Monday morning water cooler chat about what movies and programs watched over the weekend aren’t the same as they once were. I personally watch more YouTube and stream Netflix than watch television.

So could these two Hollywood giants truly envision the demise of their own industry? I think they’re pretty spot on. Independent film making is growing, however their distribution is still lacking. Producing feature films and television programming have become far less in cost as compared to let’s say 5 years ago thanks to innovations in digital equipment, recording, and editing, however the studios and corporations themselves are equally as greedy to monetize their products for maximum exposure and profits as quickly as they can, forgoing quality. When was the last time you went to a movie theater? Was it worth your $10-$15 USD per ticket? The public at large has spoken by not rushing out to view their content, avoiding the price premium to view it later for less money.

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I’ve smoked cigarettes for too long, and actually liked it. Like many smokers, I do know that it’s horrible for your health yet continue to do so anyway because it’s an addicting habit. I’ve gone a day or 2 without a cigarette before and was fine, but mostly I smoked because of boredom.

I first heard of electronic cigarettes or “e-cigs” about 3 or so years ago, but didn’t give it much attention mostly because of their price and lack of information/availability. Today, they’re on TV & radio ads, in just about any local pharmacy store, and becoming more accepted everywhere. What attracted me to them is that you can “smoke” inside your home without offending anyone, no odor on your fingers/clothes, and in the long run, can save money vs. purchasing regular cigarettes. I personally can care less of the “vanilla bean mocha cheesecake frappuccino menthol” flavors that are offered, but mostly wanted your standard smoking experience while using less of the real thing, thus quitting traditional cigarette smoking altogether.

Ok, so it’s only been barely a week as I’m writing this, however I’m a huge skeptic and am a hard sell but this… vaping… is legit. Mind you, I wasn’t a hardcore pack-a-day, Marlboro Reds smoker, however I do like to smoke and I decided to give vaping (smokers smoke, vapers vape) a shot. I spent literally hours pouring through Google searches and watching many YouTube videos, trying to get someone to convince me that it’s a bad idea, it’ll suck, or whatever. Instead, I got confused! If you’re not very familiar with vaping and all the terms, mods, models, voltages, twist batteries, cattys, e-juice, blah, blah, blah, it’s a clusterfuck of information to wade through!

After much reading, watching, and researching, I found what I believe is the best way to go and that is the Triton tank system by a company called Halo. They’ve also been highly recommended for their “e-juices” or vapor liquid since they’re laboratory grade made in the U.S. Without trying to sound like a commercial, I’m highly impressed by what I’ve experienced so far. I purchased their sample pack of liquids and the entire order arrived in one business day (they’re based in New Jersey while I’m in Los Angeles; USPS Priority mail was at no cost to me!).

I’ll admit, I do still smoke regular cigarettes as of the time I’m writing this, however I’ve cut back drastically since using an e-cigarette. It satisfies the whole exhaling smoke thing we smokers enjoy, and there is nicotine in the vapor however not the other 3,000 other chemicals that is applied to tobacco. As prices go down due to competition and demand goes up with increased users, I think this will be the year that many take real notice of vaping.